Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Congo:
Meet a Jane Goodall Institute Ranger

“It is the missing piece of the puzzle in conservation, protecting endangered species and nature itself. We must all come together to ensure we protect the rangers themselves on the front line.”

Dr. Jane Goodall

Every day, park rangers risk their lives to protect wildlife and wild places from poaching and other threats. Sadly, it’s estimated that over 1,000 park rangers have been killed in the line of duty over the past 10 years. A large percentage of these are due to commercial poachers and armed militia groups. Park rangers are generally under-equipped, underpaid, and often under-appreciated. We think they are heroes. 

Becoming a park ranger is no easy feat, Their tasks are multifaceted and include a HUGE range of not only dangers and hazards, but they quite literally put their life on the line every day to ensure the safety of some of our most treasured wildlife. Rangers are real life super heroes, and their work is only possible thanks to generous donors like you.

Earth Warriors

Getting there is not a job for the faint hearted. Many of the Jane Goodall Institute Rangers are the ‘boots on the ground’ in Africa’s protected areas. Including Tchimpounga. 

These rangers are in charge of undertaking rigorous patrols of law enforcement and wildlife monitoring, community engagement and conservation management activities. It takes a unique type of individual to perform tasks expected of a park ranger in what are often extreme conditions. Due to the physical nature of the job, a high level of fitness and of course strength is required. 

Our friends and partners at the Thin Green Line Foundation know firsthand just how gruelling this onboarding can be. Sean Wilmore, President of the International Ranger Federation, Founder of The Thin Green Line Foundation and our Park Ranger program, has worked closely and tirelessly in a joint effort with the Jane Goodall Institute rangers to oversee and ensure a longstanding protection program is in place for chimpanzees across Tchimpounga. 

“Rangers are the missing link in conservation. ”  –Dr. Jane Goodall

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Some of the below may be confronting for some readers. Reader discretion is advised due to some difficult subject matters.

Deo, a young chimpanzee, was kept in a cage when rescuers found her

Tragically 75 per cent of rangers have been killed since 2016 as a direct result of poaching and wildlife trafficking, many murdered by the poachers that they were attempting to stop.

The Jane Goodall Institute has a long history with rangers and relies on these strong allies to keep our conservation initiatives functioning and progressing. In our many protected areas of research and conservation throughout Africa, we depend on rangers for many things, including:

     • Resource protection/management
     • Public safety
     • Patrolling grounds
     • Enforcing regulations
     • Conducting investigations
     • Performing search and rescues
     • Assistance in medical emergencies
     • And arguably most imperatively: Preventing wildlife poaching

The front line of fighting extinction

In the Congo Basin poachers kill thousands of chimps as a part of the illegal bushmeat trade, allowing only the smallest to live to be sold off as pets. The animal lives saved is an enormous figure directly thanks to the work of rangers preventing these poachers from succeeding. Without these protectors, endangered species like chimpanzees may be gone from this world forever.

Tchimpounga Park Rangers meeting the new Park Conservator Mr. Mpika. They are wearing masks during the Covid Pandemic.

You may have heard of the term ‘wildlife trafficking,’ in the context of graphic imagery of elephants being brutally murdered for their tusks, or piles and piles of the fins of sharks drying on the concrete. 

Public demand for wildlife and wildlife products has resulted in a boom of illegal trade, that is quickly pushing endangered species toward extinction. Working on the ground to prevent this tremendous loss of life is a fight against extreme danger and cruelty. It is because of the heroism of park rangers, that so many have been saved.

Everyday Jane Goodall Institute rangers risk their safety to protect chimps and their habitats at the 50,000 hectare Tchimpounga Nature Reserve. Without their bravery and self-sacrifice, our vision to ensure the long-term survival of chimpanzees would not be achievable.

“We work to equip, train and support rangers fighting on the front line of conservation, predominantly in conflict zones and developing countries,” explains Sean. “We also give direct support to the widows and families left behind.”

SPONSOR A  TCHIMPOUNGA CHIMP

From dawn to dusk

A morning routine commences at dawn, yet sleep is not something our rangers often receive. Their routine foot patrols start from one of three permanent bases that are strategically placed to maximise the rangers ability to detect illegal activity. 

Even though they always follow the same route, no two days are alike. Sometimes they’ll be removing dozens of snares that have been set to trap animals for bush meat. Other times they’ll come across illegal hunting of logging camps. 

Dangers after dark

Night time is the most dangerous for our rangers. 

Often these camps are unattended, so the rangers confiscate any remaining weapons or illicit material such as animal remains or charcoal, then dismantle any structures that have been built. The rigorous training our rangers receive means they’re ready and able to respond to potentially life-threatening situations, such as encounters with armed poachers. 

The rangers also conduct random patrols from temporary camps to access remote areas, catch people that may have become aware of their usual routes, or respond to reports of illegal activity from the community. While stationed at these camps, which can be set up for weeks at a time, the rangers live in small tents.

Although this is tough, the rangers know their work is crucial to the protection of the reserve, so they persevere. 

MAKE A REGULAR GIFT

JGI Tchimpounga rangers bring tents with them and spend the night in different places for watching the forest and defending it from poachers and illegal activities.

 Team work

The permanent bases are placed to allow the rangers to carry out vehicle checks in high-traffic areas too. Here they work with the Republic of Congo’s first canine wildlife detection unit to inspect all vehicles entering and exiting the reserve. 

This team of five highly-trained dogs help the rangers detect weapons, ammunition, animal remains, and timber that people attempt to smuggle out. They’ve been so successful at managing illegal activities that the Congolese government is working with JGI to expand the program into nearby protected areas like Conkouati Douli National Park.

A fourth permanent base is located along the Kouilou River near Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Centre (TCRC)’s island sites. Rangers stationed here conduct boat patrols to maintain the safety of the chimps. They make sure villages using the river maintain an appropriate distance from the islands and remove any illegal fishing nets they discover.

Sniffer dogs. JGI vet team takes care of them.

In addition to patrols and vehicle checks, each year during the dry season the rangers set up breaks to protect the chimps and sanctuary from uncontrolled fires. Local communities burn fields and Savannah within the reserve to make the foraging of mushrooms and plants easier. Unchecked these fires pose a significant threat to the sanctuary, so the rangers use breaks to minimise their risk. 

Eternal gratitude

We thank the unflinching heroism of people in the field making sure that our wild places remain wild, and safe. We would especially like to thank our Eco-Guards ever present at our Chimp Rehabilitation centre at Tchimpounga.

The dedication of our rangers means the chimps within the Tchimpounga Nature Reserve are far less vulnerable to the threats of poaching, habitat loss, and disease. Because of the generosity of supporters like you, they’re able to carry out this crucial, courageous work. 

GIVE TODAY: BECOME A CHIMP GUARDIAN

Perrine is a baby chimp that lives at Tchimpounga main sanctuary with chimps of his same age. You can sponsor him monthly as a Chimp Guardian.

How girls’ education benefits our entire planet

Inspired by her own experience witnessing the Jane Goodall Institute’s work in Uganda, our Africa Programs Manager, Natasha Coutts, shares proven reasons why female education has positive reverberations for our entire planet.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

-Nelson Mandela, Former President of South Africa and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

 

Significant gains in closing the gender gap in education have been made globally over the past 30 years, however regional disparities between the number of years of school completed by boys and girls still persist. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the lower secondary school completion rate for boys is 42 percent compared to 36 percent for girls. A similar difference exists for upper secondary school completion rates, with 29 percent for boys and just 22 percent for girls. Here are eight reasons why bridging the educational gender divide in Sub-Saharan Africa can help save the world

Forests

Africa has lost 3.94 million hectares of forest per year since 1990, the highest rate globally.1 These forests, particularly the primary tropical rainforests around the equator, are extremely rich in biodiversity. Their loss and degradation imperils the survival of innumerable plant and animal species, many endemic to these locations. For example, habitat destruction and degradation is a leading threat to endangered chimpanzees.2

Multiple studies have shown traditional fuel consumption to be the greatest driver of deforestation in the region, due to large numbers of poor rural populations living in and around forested areas being reliant on wood fuel and charcoal for cooking.3-5  In addition to energy, many people across rural Sub-Saharan Africa depend on forests for between 30 – 45%  of their total household income.6-9 However, forest dependency tends to decline with more years of education, as it presents alternative livelihood opportunities that are often more profitable than forest extraction activities.10-14

Find out more about our campaign Educate Girls, Change The World >>

Resilience

Education helps buffer women, their families and the countries that they live in from financial and environmental shocks.15 At the family level, women with more education can better handle economic fluctuations that might impact their ability to provide food and health care to their children. At the national level, female education provides the best return on investment for enhancing a country’s ability to mitigate the impact of natural disasters.16

Predictions suggest Africa will face a number of climate and environment related challenges –  such as decreased food security, water availability and biodiversity loss – over the coming decades. Critical to ensuring vulnerable populations are equipped to deal with these challenges is the education of girls: there is massive untapped potential for them to emerge as leaders in this space. For example, in 2015 women represented only 30% of forestry graduates from the level of technical diploma through to doctoral degrees.17

Closing the gender gap in secondary education will give girls the foundations they need to pursue further education and realise their full potential to gain leadership positions within academia, civic associations, business, and politics.18

Climate

Sub-Saharan African countries are among the world’s most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. By decreasing fertility rates and population growth, educating girls can substantially contribute to reducing global carbon emissions.19

Project Drawdown – the world’s leading resource for climate solutions – ranked educating girls the sixth most effective strategy for curbing climate change. Estimations suggest over 51 gigatons of CO2 emissions could be saved if free universal secondary education is implemented globally by 2030.20

How do reusable sanitary towels reduce deforestation? Learn more >>

Population growth

High population growth can be a challenge to increasing standards of living in Income Level 1 & 2 countries. More people means budgets for public services and available resources are spread more thinly. Increasing population size is also strongly associated with greater deforestation.21,22

If all countries prioritised rapid expansion of free universal secondary schooling, the global population will likely be 843 million people fewer in 2050 compared to projections based on current enrollment rates.23, 24 In Sub-Saharan Africa, where most countries are currently at Income Levels 1 & 2 and large gaps in educational attainment between boys and girls still exist, women with secondary education average 3.9 births while those with no education average 6.8 births.25, 26

Future earnings

There is a strong relationship between the number of years of schooling a girl undertakes and her future income. Sub-Saharan African women with primary education are likely to earn between 18 – 30% more than those with no education. The difference increases to between 130 – 165% for secondary education, and a staggering 448 – 567% for tertiary education.27

Education also helps reduce gender income inequality. Ghanian women with secondary education earn 16 percent less than secondary educated men, whereas the gap increases to 57 percent for women and men with no education.28  Because higher incomes help alleviate poverty, which in turn can lower dependence on forests29, educating girls over time contributes to the preservation of natural ecosystems.

Health

Education leads to better health outcomes for women and their children. During the peak of the HIV crisis in the 1990s the likelihood of testing positive to the virus was three times less for adolescent rural Ugandans with secondary education than those with no education.30

Across nine Sub-Saharan African countries, the chance of a child contracting malaria – a leading cause of death in the region – is reduced by approximately 27 percent if their mothers have completed at least six years of primary education.31  Child health and nutritional status is most strongly associated with a mothers’ education in rural Uganda.32

Economies

Educated women make economies stronger, both locally and nationally. Increasing the number of years of education improves women’s prospects for participating in the formal labour market.33 Estimated labour market returns on education are higher for women at 11.7 percent compared to 9.6 percent for men.34

Sub-Saharan African women are responsible for 75 percent of food produced in the region, yet their average number of years of education is far less than that of men.

When women’s educational attainment levels increase, so too does their productivity. Female farmers with more years of education in Kenya were shown to increase yields by up to 22 percent.35

Child marriage

Cultural norms and poverty force many girls to marry before the age of 18. In most cases, marriage and schooling are mutually exclusive.36 The chance of marriage is reduced by 7.5 percent for every additional year of secondary school completed by girls in 13 African countries.

In a survey of married Ugandan women, 39 percent who married in adulthood enrolled in secondary school, compared to 13 percent who married as a child.37 Programs that focus on increasing educational attainment for girls are one of the most effective strategies for reducing child marriage.38

Learn how JGI helps girls stay in school to protect chimps >>

 

References

  • FAO and UNEP. 2020. The State of the World’s Forests 2020. Forests, biodiversity and people. Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/ca8642en
  • Plumptre, A., Hart, J.A., Hicks, T.C., Nixon, S., Piel, A.K. & Pintea, L. 2016. Pan troglodytes ssp. schweinfurthii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T15937A102329417.
  • Bawa, K. S. and Dayanandan, S. (1997). Socioeconomic factors and tropical deforestation. Nature, 386, 562 – 563.
  • Hosonuma, N., Herold, M., De Sy,V., De Fries, R. S., Brockhaus, M., Verchot, L., Angelsen, A., and Romijn, E. (2012). An assessment of deforestation and forest degradation drivers in developing countries. Environmental Research Letters, 7, 044009.
  • Mulenga, B. P., Tembo, S. T., and Richardson, R. B. (2019). Electricity access and charcoal consumption among urban households in Zambia. Development Southern Africa, 36 (5), 585 – 599. 
  • Garekae, H., Thakadu, O. T., and Lepetu, J. (2017). Socio-economic factors influencing household forest dependency in Chobe enclave, Botswana. Ecological Processes, 6 (1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13717-017-0107-3.
  • Mamo, G., Sjaastad, E., Vedeld, P. (2007). Economic dependence on forest resources: a case from Dendi District, Ethiopia. Forest Policy Economics, 9 (8), 916 – 927.
  • Appiah, M., Blay, D., Damnyag, L., Dwomoh, F. K., Pappinen, A., and Luukkanen, O. (2009). Dependence on forest resources and tropical deforestation in Ghana. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 11, 471 – 487.
  • Kalaba, F. K, Quinn, C.H., Dougill, A.J. (2013). Contribution of forest provisioning ecosystem services to rural livelihoods in the Miombo woodlands of Zambia. Population and Environment, 35 (2), 159 – 182.
  • Adhikari, B., Di Falco, S., and Lovett, J. C. (2004). Household characteristics and forest dependency: evidence from common property forest management in Nepal. Ecological Economics, 48, 245 – 257.
  • Gunatilake, H. (1998). The role of rural development in protecting tropical rainforests: evidence from Sri Lanka. Journal of Environmental Management, 53, 273 – 292.
  • Panta, M., Kim, K., Lee, C. (2009). Households’ characteristics, forest resources dependency and forest availability in central Terai of Nepal. Journal of Korean Forest Society, 98 (5), 548 – 557.
  • Fonta, W. M., and Ayuk, E. T. (2013). Measuring the role of forest income in mitigating poverty and inequality: evidence from south-eastern Nigeria. Forests, Trees, and Livelihoods 22 (2), 86 – 105.
  • Masozera, M. K., and Alavalapati, J. R. R. (2004). Forest dependency and its implications for protected areas management: a case study from the Nyungwe Forest Reserve, Rwanda. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research 19 (4), 85–92.
  • King, E., and Winthrop,  R. (2015). Today’s Challenges for Girls’ Education. Brookings Institution, Washington.
  • Streissnig, E., Lutz, W., and Patt, A. (2013). Effects of Educational Attainment on Climate Risk Vulnerability. Ecology and Society, 18 (1), 16. http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-05252-180116.
  • FAO. (2020). Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020: Main report. Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/ca9825en.
  • O’Neil, T., Plank, G., and Domingo, P. (2015). Support to Women and Girls’ Leadership: A Rapid Review of the Evidence. Overseas Development Institute, London.
  • O’Neill, B.C., Dalton, M., Fuchs, R., Jiang, L., Pachauri, S., and Zigova, K. (2010). Global demographic trends and future carbon emissions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107 (41), 17521-17526. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1004581107.
  • UNESCO. (2020). Global Education Monitoring Report 2020: Inclusion and education: All means all. UNESCO, Paris.
  • Busch, J., and Ferretti-Gallon, K. (2017). What Drives Deforestation and What Stops It? A Meta-Analysis. Review of environmental economics and policy, 11(1) 3-23.
  • Uusivuori, J., Lehto, E. and Palo, M. (2002). Population, income and ecological conditions as determinants of forest area variation in the tropics. Global Environmental Change, 12, 313-323.
  • UNESCO. (2014). Teaching and Learning: Achieving Quality for All – EFA Global Monitoring Report 2013/4. UNESCO, Paris.
  • Lutz, W., and Samir., K. C.  (2011). Global Human Capital: Integrating Education and Population. Science, 333 (6042), 587–92.
  • UNPD. (2011). World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision. UNPD, New York.
  • 26.ICF International. STATcompiler: Building Tables with DHS Data. (2012) ICF International, Calverton. Available at www.statcompiler.com.
  • Wodon, Q., C., Nguyen, M. H., and Onagoruwa, A. (2018). Educating Girls and Ending Child Marriage: A Priority for Africa. The Cost of Not Educating Girls Notes Series. The World Bank, Washington, DC.
  • Kolev, A., and Sirven, N. (2010). Gender Disparities in Africa’s Labor Market: A Cross-Country Comparison Using Standardized Survey Data. In Gender Disparities in Africa’s Labor Market. Editors Arbache, J. S., Kolev, A., and Filipiak, E. World Bank, Washington.
  • FAO and UNEP. (2020). The State of the World’s Forests 2020 – Forests, biodiversity and people. FAO and UNEP, Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/ca8642en.
  • De Walque, D. (2004). How Does Educational Attainment Affect the Risk of Being Infected by HIV/AIDS? Evidence from a General Population Cohort in Rural Uganda. World Bank Development Research Group Working Paper. World Bank, Washington.
  • Siri, J. G. (2014). Independent Associations of Maternal Education and Household Wealth with Malaria Risk in Children. Ecology and Society, 19 (1), 33.
  • Wamani, H., Tylleskär, T., Astrøm, A. N., Tumwine, J. K., and Peterson, S. (2004). Mothers’ Education but Not Fathers’ Education, Household Assets or Land Ownership is the Best Predictor of Child Health Inequalities in Rural Uganda. International Journal for Equity in Health, 3 (1), 9. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-9276-3-9
  • Patrinos, H., and Montenegro, C. E. (2014). Comparable Estimates of Returns to Schooling Around the World. World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 7020. World Bank, Washington.
  • Sperling, G. B., Winthrop, R. and Kwauk, C. (2016). What Works in Girls’ Education: Evidence for the World’s Best Economy. Brookings Institution Press, Washington, DC, USA.
  • Quisumbing, A. (1996). Male – Female Differences in Agricultural Productivity: Methodological Issues and Empirical Evidence. World Development, 24 (10), 1579 – 1595.
  • Wodon, Q., Nguyen, M. C., and Tsimpo, C. (2016). Child Marriage, Education, and Agency in Uganda. Feminist Economics, 22 (1), 54 – 79. doi:10.1080/13545701.2015.1102020.
  • Wodon, Q., Montenegro, C., Nguyen, H., and Onagoruwa, A. (2018). Educating Girls and Ending Child Marriage: A Priority for Africa. The Cost of Not Educating Girls Notes Series. The World Bank, Washington.
  • Botea, I., Chakravarty, S., Haddock, S., and Wodon, Q. (2017). Interventions Improving Sexual and Reproductive Health Outcomes and Delaying Child Marriage and Childbearing for Adolescent Girls. Ending Child Marriage Notes Series. The World Bank, Washington.